In comparison to batters and bowlers, India has produced a relatively scarce number of quality all-rounders. Top-order batters and spin spinners have always dominated the cricketing landscape. However, the few all-rounders that have emerged are not just numbers but remarkable talents on the world stage.

These Indian all-rounders have consistently showcased their versatility with both bat and ball, winning matches single-handedly, inspiring their teammates, and setting a benchmark for aspiring young cricketers. Here's a writeup to the top 5 Indian all-rounders who have left an indelible mark on Indian cricket history.  

Kapil Dev

It's no surprise to find Kapil Dev topping the given list. Kapil Dev, an embodiment of raw spirit and grit, has the potential to be remembered as one of India's best athletes. He bowls for extraordinarily lengthy durations that modern bowlers could never imagine, and he has never missed a match due to fitness difficulties. The former captain is India's third-highest wicket-taker in Tests.

But, above all, the 1983 World Cup win was the catalyst for the halo around him. His incredible catch to eliminate Viv Richards in the World Cup final may have been the turning point in the West Indies' dominance. In 382 international cricket matches, he has scored a colossal 9031 runs and 687 wickets. 

Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin's career has been a rollercoaster, but it has significantly influenced his arsenal. He replaced Harbhajan Singh on the Indian team and shattered several test records. Ashwin, a street-smart cricketer, used several variations to confuse batters across forms.

Even though he was one of the players who lost his spot in the ODI and T20 teams owing to India's glut of spinners, no one could match his test supremacy. With cautious knocks and daring ramp shots, Ashwin is one of India's top all-rounders. He has scored 4302 runs and taken 744 wickets in his current international spell across all formats.

Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja completely transformed the fielding aspect of the game, including his all-round ability. Jadeja failed to gain a position on the Indian side despite playing as Virat Kohli's vice-captain in the Under-19 World Cup. Jadeja is still evolving as a limited-overs all-rounder, but his combination with Ravichandran Ashwin is lethal in Test cricket. Jadeja is now a match-winning batsman, ball player, and fielder.

India cannot omit him from any of their teams. With his recent retirement from the T20I side, his fundamental contributions in the ODI and Test formats will be crucial for the Indian team in the coming days. In his international career, he has made 6393 runs and scalped 568 matches in 279 matches.

Also Read: Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja Entertain Once More at Chepauk

Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan was hyped as the future Kapil Dev during his early career. A great left-arm bowling all-rounder with the ability to swing the ball both ways joined the Indian team and immediately made an impression. He became the first Indian bowler to achieve a test hat-trick in the opening three deliveries of a test match.

After demonstrating his ability to knock rapid boundaries late in the innings, he was an easy pick to play for India in the 2007 T20 World Cup, when he was named Man of the Match in the final. In his 141-match career, he scored 2821 runs and scalped 301 wickets. 

Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri is a complete all-rounder both on and off the pitch. In some ways, he revolutionised the game by going against the tide. While batters began scoring runs more quickly, his defensive tactics, such as his ability to play long innings and tire out the opposition and subsequent high scores against formidable opponents, greatly benefited him.

He was a right-handed batsman who bowled left-arm orthodox, an unusual breed of player. But at times, Ravi Shastri became so vicious that he blasted six sixes in one over. His excellent statistics of 3830 runs with 151 wickets in test cricket and 3108 runs with 129 wickets in one-day internationals speak for themselves. Adding cherry on the top, he is also excellent at coaching and commenting.

In the ever-evolving landscape of cricket, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has often been at the forefront of introducing innovative rules to spice up the game. One such rule that has garnered both praise and criticism is the Impact Player rule. Introduced to add excitement and unpredictability to the IPL matches, this rule has sparked a debate among players and coaches regarding its effectiveness and implications.

What is the Impact Player Rule?

The Impact Player rule, implemented in the IPL, allows teams to designate a player as an ‘Impact Player’ during the match. This player can earn additional points for the team based on their performance, influencing the game’s outcome significantly.

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Ravi Shastri’s Endorsement

Former India coach Ravi Shastri has emerged as a staunch supporter of the Impact Player rule. Shastri expressed his approval in a conversation with R Ashwin on his YouTube channel, citing its contribution to thrilling finishes in IPL matches. He emphasized the need to adapt to changing times and welcomed the rule to enhance the league’s competitiveness.

“The Impact Player [rule] is good. You have to evolve with the times. You know, it happens in other sports as well. It’s got tighter finishes. You have to evolve with the times and I think it’s a good rule. You saw the number of tight finishes we had in last year’s IPL. So, you know, it has made a big difference,” Shastri told R Ashwin on his Youtube channel.

Rohit Sharma’s Concerns

Contrary to Shastri’s viewpoint, India captain Rohit Sharma has voiced concerns regarding the Impact Player rule. Sharma believes that the rule might hinder the development of all-rounders in the league, potentially affecting the balance of the teams. His apprehensions raise questions about the rule’s long-term implications for player strategies and team dynamics.

Ashwin’s Case Study: Dhruv Jurel

In defense of the Impact Player rule, R Ashwin highlighted the case of Dhruv Jurel, who rose from being designated as an Impact Player in IPL 2023 to making his Test debut for India within a year. Jurel’s journey serves as a testament to the opportunities created by the rule for budding talents to showcase their skills on a larger stage and earn recognition.

“You know when any new rule comes in, there will be…people will try and justify why that’s not right,” Shastri said. “But in time when you see the scores – 200 and 190 – and then like you mentioned individuals grabbing that opportunity and making the most of it, people will start re-looking at how they think about it.”

Tighter Finishes and Enhanced Excitement

One of the immediate outcomes of the Impact Player rule has been the emergence of tighter finishes in IPL matches. The additional points at stake for the Impact Player have injected a sense of urgency and excitement, leading to nail-biting conclusions to games. This unpredictability aspect adds to the league’s entertainment value, attracting a broader audience.

In anticipation of the IND vs ENG first Test match in Hyderabad, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to revive the prestigious Naman Awards ceremony after a four-year hiatus. The ceremony, dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of Indian cricketers, returns for its latest edition before the much-anticipated match.

Notable awardees include Shubman Gill, named Cricketer of the Year, and former India head coach Ravi Shastri, honored with the Lifetime Achievement award. The Naman Awards also shine a spotlight on emerging talents in Indian cricket who have excelled in domestic competitions.

With the BCCI Naman Awards making a comeback after 2020, the board decided to honor players for their exceptional performances during the 2020-23 period.

Here’s the full list of winners for the BCCI Naman Awards 2024:

Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy:

• Most runs in U16 Vijay Merchant Trophy: Uday Saharan (Punjab) in 2019-20 and Vihaan Malhotra (Punjab) in 2022-23
• Most wickets in U16 Vijay Merchant Trophy: Nirdesh Baisoya (Meghalaya) in 2019-20 and Anmoljeet Singh (Punjab) in 2022-23
• Best woman cricketer in Senior domestic WODI: Saee Puandare (2019-20), Indrani Roy (2020-21), Kanika Ahuja (2021-22), Nabam Yapu (2022-23)
• Best woman cricketer in Junior domestic: Kashvee Gautam (2019-20), Soumya Tiwari (2021-22), and Vaishnavi Sharma (2022-23)

MA Chidambaram Trophy:

• Highest run-scorer in Col CK Nayudu Trophy (U23): Parth Palawat (2019-20), YV Rathod (2021-22), and Kshitij Patel (2022-23)
• Highest wicket-taker in Col CK Nayudu Trophy (U23): Ankush Tyagi (2019-20), Harsh Dubey (2021-22), and Vishal B Jayswal (2022-23)
• Highest run-scorer in Cooch Behar Trophy (U19): P Kanpillewar (2019-20), Mayank Shandilya (2021-22), and Dinesh Malewar (2022-23)
• Highest wicket-taker in Cooch Behar Trophy (U19): Harsh Dubey (2019-20), AR Nishad (2021-22), and Manav Chothani (2022-23)

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Madhav Rao Scindia Award:

• Most runs in the Ranji Trophy: Rahul Dalal (2019-20), Sarfaraz Khan (2021-22), and Mayank Agarwal (2022-23)
• Most wickets in the Ranji Trophy: Jaydev Unadkat (2019-20), Shams Mulani (2021-22), and Jalaj Saxena (2022-23)

Lala Amarnath Award:

• Best All-Rounder in Ranji Trophy: MB Murasingh (2019-20), Shams Mulani (2021-22), and Saransh Jain (2022-23)
• Best All-Rounder in Limited Overs format: Baba Aparajith (2019-20), Rishi Dhawan (2020-21, 2021-22), and Riyan Parag (2022-23)

Best Performance in Domestic Tournaments:

• Mumbai in Ranji Trophy 2019-20
• Madhya Pradesh in Ranji Trophy 2021-22
• Saurashtra in Ranji Trophy 2022-23

Best Umpires in Domestic Cricket:

• A Padmanabhan (2019-20)
• Vrinda Rathi (2020-21)
• Jayaraman Madangopal (2021-22)
• Rohan Pandit (2022-23)

Highest Run Scorer in ODIs (Women):

• Poonam Raut (2019-20)
• Mithali Raj (2020-21)
• Harmanpreet Kaur (2021-22)
• Jemimah Rodrigues (2022-23)

Highest Wicket-Taker in ODIs (Women):

• Poonam Yadav (2019-20)
• Jhulan Goswami (2020-21)
• Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2021-22)
• Devika Vaidya (2022-23)

Dilip Sardesai Award:

• Most runs in a Test series: Yashasvi Jaiswal vs West Indies in 2023
• Most wickets in a Test series: Ravichandran Ashwin vs West Indies in 2023

Best International Debut (Women):

• Priya Punia (2019-20)
• Shafali Varma (2020-21)
• Sabbhineni Meghana (2021-22)
• Amanjot Kaur (2022-23)

Best International Debut (Men):

• Mayank Agarwal (2019-20)
• Axar Patel (2020-21)
• Shreyas Iyer (2021-22)
• Yashasvi Jaiswal (2022-23)

Best International Cricketer (Women):

• Deepti Sharma (2019-20, 2022-23)
• Smriti Mandhana (2020-21, 2021-22)

Polly Umrigar Award (Best International Cricketer Men):

• Mohammed Shami (2019-20)
• Ravichandran Ashwin (2020-21)
• Jasprit Bumrah (2021-22)
• Shubman Gill (2022-23)

Col. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award:

• Farokh Engnineer (2019-20)
• Ravi Shastri (2022-23)

The BCCI Naman Awards 2024 acknowledges the remarkable contributions and performances across various categories, celebrating the essence of Indian cricket excellence.

Former India player, as well as former India head coach Ravi Shastri, has applauded Ravindra Jadeja for maintaining his upperhand on Steve Smith and dismissing him with a stunning delivery in the World Cup 2023 match between India and Australia as well.

However, Jadeja registered figures of 3/28 in 10 overs, including Smith’s wicket, as India bowled out the Aussies for 199 in Chennai on Sunday, October 8. The hosts then chased down the total with six wickets and 52 balls to spare to begin their campaign on a winning note as well.

While reviewing the game on Star Sports, Shastri said: “Dream dismissal and he has dismissed him 10 to 12 times. He (Smith) is his bunny. It is not that easy to play such a delivery because of the speed at which he bowls. As a batter, you don’t know which ball is going to turn and which ball will go straight.”

Meanwhile, the former Indian all-rounder also added that the left-arm spinner eventually forces batters to second-guess his deliveries as well.

He expressed: “He (Jadeja) himself said in the interview that he doesn’t know which ball will turn and which will go straight. If he doesn’t know, how will the batter know? So he plays inside the line at times and outside the line on other occasions.”

However, Ravi Shastri again shared that Jadeja is extremely difficult to play on spin-friendly surfaces. So far, Jadeja has dismissed Steve Smith 11 times in international cricket. Apart from him, the veteran spin-bowling all-rounder also dismissed Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey to keep them under the pressure.

“If he plays outside, he becomes leg-before and if he plays inside, it hits the stumps, just like it happened with Smith. It’s not easy as he will trouble anyone. If he gets a surface like this, he becomes the most difficult bowler because his every ball does not turn,” he concluded.

Ricky Ponting, a former captain of Australia, once again picked his nation as the favorite to win the World Test Championship final against India at The Oval on Sunday. Ponting stated the same thing during an earlier interview with ICC Review and reiterated it during an interview with Star Sports, stating that Australia will start as the favorite to win the match while India will enter the summit clash “jaded and tired” from the arduous IPL 2023 season.

However, the panel’s other members, legendary cricketers Ravi Shastri and Wasim Akram, slammed the statement, with the former India coach making a venomous reference to “Mohammed Shami.”

Ponting, when directly asked who he thinks will win the game, said Australia, albeit “slightly.” He chose Australia based on match preparation, despite admitting that there is little to distinguish the two teams after they finished top of the table at the conclusion of the 2021/23 cycle to reach the final. He explained that Indian players were exhausted following the IPL season, whereas Australian players had barely played the sport prior to the WTC final, implying a “fresh” mind.

“The interesting thing as far as preparation is concerned is that some of the Australians have done nothing. They haven’t been playing any cricket at all. At least, all the Indian guys have been playing very competitive cricket in the IPL. So coming in fresh without any cricket, is that better or is it coming in maybe slightly jaded and slightly tired on the back of an IPL but having played a lot of cricket leading in? So there’s lots of factors that could show up through the course of this week,”

he said.

The Pakistani fast-bowling legend, on the other hand, completely disagreed with Ponting and stated that, regardless of the format, he would have preferred playing a series or a tournament like the IPL leading up to a big final rather than not practicing at all.

“I as a player would always want a bit of cricket behind me. It doesn’t matter the format as long as I am playing cricket. I would prefer at least one series or a tournament like IPL as match practice and then come into play,”

Akram explained, although he did pick Aussies as the favourites.

Shastri conceded that Australia start top picks on paper however added that match wellness could be a game changer. He explained that a player like Mohammed Shami, who won the Purple Cap in the IPL 2023, could end up doing the most damage with the new ball than a player who hasn’t played a match in a while and is looking for the right areas to bowl.

“I think that match fitness might come into play. It’s like Waz mentioned, Ricky mentioned, you need some cricket behind you. It’s not just the number of overs you bowl or how long you were, but just staying in the park for six hours,

“It’s totally different from just bowling in the nets for two hours, two hours, four or five days, six days. So it depends how they’ve practiced, how they’ve prepared.

“Australia. On paper, if you look man to man, they have the slight edge, but that match fitness might be the key. Where Shami might just come in and do the damage in the first half an hour because he’s been playing so much, as opposed to someone settling into a line length and the right areas to bowl.”

Shastri said.

Senior Indian bowlers’ recurring injuries, according to Ravi Shastri, are “unreal,” “ridiculous,” and “frustrating.”

Shastri’s remarks came while examining the furthest down the line injury to Deepak Chahar, who dumbfounded only one preceding pulling out of Chennai Super Lords’ IPL match against Mumbai Indians in the wake of getting a left hamstring injury.

“Let’s put it this way: there are quite a few in the last three or four years who are permanent residents of the NCA. Soon, they’ll get a resident permit there to walk in any time they want, which is not a good thing at all. It’s unreal.” 

Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time: Out show ahead of Super Kings’s home match against Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday.

Chahar had hamstring issues for the second time in the last five months, requiring him to leave a game before completing his four overs. Chahar left the second one-day international against Bangladesh in Mirpur in December after bowling three overs. After sustaining a Grade 3 quadricep tear in February, he then returned to the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, where he would spend the majority of 2022.

A solid back, which was analyzed as a pressure crack, then deferred his rebound, baffling both Chahar and the Indian team Management, prompting Rohit Sharma saying that the group “can’t afford guys coming in here half-fit and representing the country”.

Chahar isn’t the only Indian athlete who has missed significant time due to recurring injuries: Yash Dayal, Navdeep Saini, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldip Sen, and Mohsin Khan have all been out of action recently for varying lengths of time. In fact, Bumrah tried to come back from his back injury multiple times before having surgery recently.

Ravi Shastri stated that the fact that the majority of these players were declared fit by the NCA medical team but were still suffering from injuries was the thing that bothered him the most

“Come on, you’re not playing that much cricket to be injured again and again. I mean, you can’t play four matches on the trot. What are you going to the NCA for? If you are going to come back and then three matches [later] you’re back there. So make sure you get fit and come once and for all because it’s damn frustrating. Not just for the team, the players, the BCCI, the captains of the various [IPL] franchises. It’s annoying, to say the least. I can understand a serious injury, but every four games when someone touches his hamstring or someone touches his groin, you start thinking what are these guys… what are they training, what’s going on. And some of them don’t play any other cricket in the year. It’s just four overs [in the IPL], man, three hours. The game is over.”

Shastri said.

In a statement to the media a day after the Mumbai Indians match, Super Kings stated that Chahar would undergo additional scans before his participation in the remainder of the IPL would be decided.

Chahar himself had recently stated that recovering from a significant injury was never simple. He had told PTI in February that he was “fully fit” and ready for the IPL.

“I had two big injures. One was a stress fracture and one was a quad grade 3 tear. They are both very big injuries. You are out for months. Anyone who comes back after the injury, it takes time, especially for the fast bowlers.”

he had said

Much before Rinku Singh had pulled off an electrifying heist in Ahmedabad with his five back to back sixes to direct Kolkata Knight Riders to a three-wicket win in IPL 2023 against Gujarat Titans, Twitter had gone swirling watching an uncommon thump from Vijay Shankar which reignited recollections from 2019 World Cup. 

Shankar had hit a dazzling unbeaten thump of 63 that directed GT to their very first 200 or more aggregate. Ravi Shastri, a former India coach, also made a powerful “World Cup selection” comment about the all-rounder after the injury.

Vijay Shankar had made his case for a spot in the 2019 World Cup team four years ago, following an impressive run in limited-overs play

This eventually led to a huge controversy, as the much-favored Ambati Rayudu was dropped from consideration. Shankar’s World Cup experience and international career both ended in disappointment.

The all-rounder, on the other hand, is back with three impressive runs. Shankar stunned everyone on Sunday with his unbeaten 63 off just 24 balls, which included five sixes and four boundaries, after scoring 56 runs in the first two innings of IPL 2023.

After the innings, Shastri, who was the lead trainer during that 2019 World Cup competition, reviewed Shankar’s choice and saw a closeness in form.

“The fact that Vijay was picked for the World Cup is because he had this kind of talent. And I am glad that he has gone back, worked hard, and not given up. You know he has had some tough times, he has had an operation as well, but he has come back strong,” .

Shastri said while speaking on Star Sports

“Beautiful hitting today because he is a clean striker of the ball, he has got a wide range of shots and, because of his reach and height, he can hit the ball a long, long way. Great to see. This is the strength of the Gujarat Titans. They have got some power hitters in the back end of the innings. So if they get off to a good start then they are a very dangerous side at the back end of the innings,”

he added.

Even though Shankar is unlikely to play for India again, a miraculous turn of events in IPL 2023 could see him do so.

India lost the high-scoring first T20I match against Australia on Tuesday in Mohali despite posting a solid total of 208 on the board. India’s pace bowling failed them, dishing out extremely expensive overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the returning Harshal Patel combined to concede 101 runs from eight overs. Add to that India’s surprisingly poor fielding, in which they missed three catches, including the crucial one by Cameron Green that changed the outcome of the match. India’s catching was really poor, despite the lack of dew, and it earned them harsh criticism from none other than their former head coach Ravi Shastri.

Shastri was startled at the quality of fielding, calling it sloppy, and noted that something dramatic needs to happen if India is to beat elite teams going forward. Shastri has barely been overly critical of India’s performance and has largely lauded the Indian players. Shastri believes the current side lacks fangs when it comes to fielding.

Shastri frequently compared the Indian unit under him to some of the best teams in history while he was their coach.

“If you look at all the top Indian teams over the years, there is youth and experience. I find the youth missing here and that’s why the (poor) fielding,”

Shastri said on air during Australia’s chase while they were marching away to victory.

“If you look at the last five-six years, if you look at the fielding sides, I think this side is no match to any of those sides when it comes to fielding. And that can hit badly in big tournaments,”

Shastri observed.

“It means that as a batting side you have to get that 15-20 runs game after game. If you look around the field, you tell me where is brilliance? There is no Jadeja. Where is brilliance? Where is that X-factor?”

Shastri explained

Australia got off to a strong start in their chase of 209 thanks to the aggressive intent displayed by both Green and Aaron Finch. India made the breakthrough when Axar Patel dismissed the Australia skipper, but they were had to wait a while for their second victory as Green went all-out. He scored 61 runs off of 29 balls after plundering a half-century off of 24 balls, but his attack might have been stopped had Axar held onto a legal catch at deep mid-wicket of the innings when the hitter was on 42.

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KL Rahul took another chance by racing in from long-off in the very next over. The loss of Matthew Wade, who hammered an unbeaten 45 off 21 balls to help his side win, was the one that affected India the most. When Harshal flubbed a chance to be caught and bowled, he was on 1. Shastri was rather shocked when he looked back at India’s poor fielding and stated that the team must drastically improve if they want to win ICC competitions.

“What I was disappointed today with was the standard of fielding. I mean, it looks sloppy and I think you need a big upping of the ante when it comes to the fielding if you have to beat big sides in big competitions,”

he added.

India failed to defend respectable totals in two consecutive games in the Asia Cup, and the country is on the verge of being eliminated from the continental competition’s Super 4 Stage. They failed to successfully defend 173/8 against Sri Lanka on Tuesday night after failing to successfully defend 181/7 against Pakistan on Sunday. India’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave up 19 runs in the 19th over of the match with Pakistan. He let up 14 runs in the 19th over in the Sri Lanka game.

Both performances significantly reduced India’s chances of winning the respective games.

Ravi Shastri questioned Mohammed Shami’s removal from India’s selection before their Asia Cup match against Sri Lanka. Ravi Shastri, the former coach of the Indian cricket team, claimed the side needed at least one more good bowler after the defeat to Sri Lanka. Mohammed Shami was not selected, whilst Jasprit Bumrah missed the Asia Cup due to injury.

“When you need to win, you got to prepare better. I think the selection could have been better, especially for the fast bowlers, you know the conditions here. There wasn’t much for the spinner. I was quite surprised that you came here with just 4 fast bowlers. You needed that extra one. Someone like Mohammed Shami sitting at home and cooling his heels, baffles me. After the IPL he had, for him not to be able to make the cut is, obviously, I am seeing something different,”

Ravi Shastri said on Star Sports

“There should have been one extra fast bowler. One spinner less in the 15-16. You don’t want to be caught in a situation where one guy has a fever and then you have no one else to play with. You have to play another spinner which can be embarrassing in the end,”

he stated further

The Sri Lankans got off to an explosive start in the game, putting on 91 runs at a quick clip as openers Kusal Mendis (57 off 37 balls) and Pathum Nissanka (52 off 37 balls), chasing what appeared to be a par target at the innings break.

The fifty was reached in the sixth over thanks to both batsmen’ consistent and effortless hitting of the gaps and boundaries, which put a lot of pressure on the Indian bowling attack, which struggled to adjust to the two Lankan hitters’ optimistic batting style.

ALSO READ: Asia Cup 2022: Will Team India qualify for the final if Afghanistan defeats Pakistan in Super 4?

However, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal had other ideas as he struck twice in the 12th over to put the brakes on Sri Lanka’s march.

Ravichandran Ashwin sent back Danushka Gunathilaka (1) to leave Sri Lanka in a spot of bother at 110 for three in the 14th over.

In the first ball of the next over, Sri Lanka suffered a body blow as Chahal got the big wicket of Mendis, who was trapped lbw in front of the wicket.

However, Sri Lanka’s captain Dasun Shanaka (33 not out) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (25 not out) persevered until the end, winning the match with a 64-run fifth-wicket stand.

Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik returned to the Indian T20 set-up after a hiatus of more than three years. He found himself in the squad for the upcoming bilateral series against South Africa at home, which begins on June 9 in Delhi. Karthik earned this call-up following an impeccable season for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2022. The 37-year-old scored 330 runs from 16 encounters, batting at a strike rate of 183.33. One more aspect which was majorly noticed in the season was his finishing skills. The way he batted in death overs probably impressed the selectors to be named in the 18-man squad.

Giving his opinion on Karthik’s comeback, former India head coach Ravi Shastri said the upcoming T20Is against South Africa is a great opportunity for the wicketkeeper-batter to cement his place in the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia. “This is his opportunity. If and when he gets an opportunity in these games, he has to do it with India colours on. We know he has got the experience, so this becomes extremely vital,” Shastri told Star Sports. Since Rishabh Pant would be the first-choice wicketkeeper for the upcoming mega ICC event, it would be seen how Karthik gets accommodated in the final XI. However, Shastri believes that the veteran cricketer can fill in MS Dhoni’s shoes as the finisher.

“You have to see from the team’s point of view, what are they looking for? Do they want a keeper who will bat at the top of the order or do they want a keeper who will be the finisher? I will go for the latter. You need a keeper who will do MS Dhoni’s role, let’s put it that way. MS Dhoni retired from International cricket in 2020, and the Indian team is yet to find an able replacement finisher for him. But the recent form of the 37-year-old Dinesh Karthik suggests that he might be ready to fill those massive boots.

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Ravi Shastri backs Dinesh Karthik as India’s finisher

Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri also batted for Karthik to be the finisher for the Indian team heading into the T20 World Cup. The wicketkeeper batter made his debut for India in 2004 and was the hero of India’s first T20I win in 2006. Karthik’s time was limited with the national side due to the presence of one of the greatest finishers of the game in MS Dhoni. But the veteran batter has come into his own in recent times. His role for RCB in the recently concluded IPL was similar to that of Dhoni’s, as he donned the role of finisher for his side.

Karthik has been rewarded a call-up to the national team after scoring 330 runs in 16 matches with an amazing strike rate of 183.33. “There is already Rishabh Pant who can bat in the top four or five in T20 cricket but you want someone who can keep and finish a game because they aren’t too many finishers now with MS (Dhoni) having quit. So, I think that’s where his chances are very very good,” he added. Although India has already got a mercurial wicketkeeper batter in Rishabh Pant, Shastri believes that the southpaw is more suited to batting up the order. He picked Karthik to do the job as a finisher, something Dhoni did for a long time.

“You have to see from the team’s point of view, what are they looking for? Do they want a keeper who will bat at the top of the order or do they want a keeper who will be the finisher? I will go for the latter. You need a keeper who will do MS Dhoni’s role, let’s put it that way. There is already Rishabh Pant who can bat in the top four or five in T20 cricket, but you want someone who can keep and finish a game because there aren’t too many finishers now with MS (Dhoni) having quit. So, I think that’s where his chances are very very good,” he added.